Customer Reviews

RED HOT & BLUE

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

A tribute album of Cole Porter tunes as performed by some of the best musicians to come out of the 1980s. David Byrne of the Talking Heads, the Pogues, Tom Waits, U2, The Fine Young Cannibals, Annie Lennox, Jimmy Somerville of Bronski Beat, The Thompson Twins, Sinead O'Connor. There are three fantastic reasons to purchase this album: 1) It's 20 Cole Porter standards, 2) The album was produced in 1990 to benefit AIDS research, 3) The incomparable lineup of the musicians, mentioned above, plus Neneh Cherry, the Neville Brothers, Debbie Harry of Blondie and Iggy Pop, KD Lang, Erasure, Jody Watley, Aztec Camera and more.

Any one of these three reasons should be reason enough to buy this album, and if you score with all three on your list, then you will be overwhelmingly pleased. If you are simply a Cole Porter fan, have never heard of these bands and don't care to support AIDS research, then you will likely be unhappy with this album. But if you are even a fan of just one or two of these artists, the rest of the album will surprise and seduce you.

Perhaps the best track on the whole album is The Neville Brothers' "In the Still of the Night." Simply enchanting. David Byrne shines with the best of the best work from the Talking Heads era, African drumming and rhythms, on "Don't Fence Me In." Kirsty MacColl sings with the Pogues in a medley of "Miss Otis Regrets" and "Just One of Those Things," and for this long-time Pogues fan, it was surprising to find this musically rich track a full decade after the Pogues had split up. Wish I had known about this album in 1990 rather than finding it in 2004. Tom Waits takes some heat with other reviewers with his cover of "It's All Right With Me," but those reviewers obviously wouldn't like ANY Tom Waits tunes. I think it's a fantastic layer to this already rich hued album, and Waits fills his portion with gusto and relish. It is truly the tune I love to listen to the most, partly because it follows Byrne's cut and mostly because it just sucks me into another world, that Tom Waits World, and repeatedly sucks the breath out of me. I especially love the part where it seems like the song is over and then Waits comes back in for a reprise, doubly so after reading how much is pisses off some of the other reviewers. :-)

Neneh Cherry offers a prologue to the album that melds directly into her cover of "I've Got You Under My Skin" and the Fine Young Cannibals wail into "Love For Sale" with Roland Gift's voice nearly being mistaken for a muted trumpet. How did he do that? Iggy Pop and Debby Harry have too much fun with "Well Did You Evah" and until I looked at the credits I actually thought it was John Doe and Exene Cervenka from X. They should have been asked to contribute to this album. And Screamin' Jay Hawkins, he has a cut of "I Love Paris" that while is a bit more traditional than Les Negresses Vertes' version which is pure fun, Hawkins covering another Porter tune would have added more layers of spice to this CD. The Thompson Twins and Erasure shine with two songs I would never expect to hear from them, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "Too Darn Hot," respectively. U2, Annie Lennox, KD Lang, Jody Watley, Sinead O'Connor and Aztec Camera all provide the solid stability of their talents to flesh out the core of the album, with the color added by the previously mentioned artists. The two tracks that could easily be lost and replaced by better artists are Salif Keita with "Begin the Beguine" and the Jungle Brothers with "I Get a Kick."

Purchase this album. It's a great tribute to Cole Porter and an even better contribution to supporting AIDS research. Get it to honor rare work of these excellent artists. All thumbs up! Five stars and more!

It's a challenge to find a cover album these days that lives up to the legend it's attempting to celebrate. "Red Hot And Blue," the first out of the "Red Hot" series, is by far the best out of the series, and one of the best collections of cover tunes ever assembled.

Yes, it's a tribute to the late Cole Porter and his timeless classics, and yes, producers donated their royalties to AIDS charities. But even putting the cause aside, this is an absolutely fabulous record.

Highlights include U2's alluring, almost eerie version of "Night And Day," and a tear-jerker version of "Everytime We Say Goodbye" by Annie Lennox.

David Byrne of Talking Heads does a down-home version of "Don't Fence Me In" which is quite laugh-inducing, along with the scary duo of Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop giving their take on "Well Did you Evah."

We could keep listing big names here - Sinead O Connor, Thompson Twins, Tom Waits - a wide spectrum of genre and style which serves up success.

Others in the series have been hit-and-miss, but this record is a definite must.

Cole Porter (1891-1964) was among the closeted gay artists of his era--and the idea of collecting modern versions of his work for release as an AIDS fundraiser was truly inspired. But the hard truth is that few singers have the vocal skills that a Porter song demands, and the resulting RED HOT + BLUE is an extremely inconsistent mix of the truly sublime and the truly dire.

On the sublime side, the Neville Brothers offer a truly elegant reworking of the seldom performed but incredibly beautiful "In The Still of the Night," infusing the delicate melody with their own unique multicultural sound to tremendous effect. Fine Young Cannibals also do a remarkable version--and one that would have been sure to bring a wicked grin to Porter's face--of the often censored "Love for Sale."

Many other selections are equally effective. Although U2's version of "Night and Day" takes some getting used to, it is worth the effort and becomes unexpectedly haunting. Sinead O'Connor and K.D. Lang score memorably with "You Do Something To Me" and "So In Love;" and Annie Lennox offers the single finest version of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" I have ever heard.

But the rest of the thing ranges from the merely "interesting" to the flat out awful. Neneh Cherry is one of the few rap artist I actually like--but she would have done better to take fewer liberties with "I've Got You Under My Skin," and frankly both Tom Waits and Salif Keita should have stayed in bed on the days they were scheduled to record their versions of "It's Alright With Me" and "Begin the Beguine." Indeed, Keita's "Begin the Beguine" is easily the single most awful version of any Porter song by any artist that I've ever heard.

The rest of the selections are in the "also ran" range, which is to say not memorably bad but not memorably good either. At times this is a major disappointment--when you consider that Andy Bell of Erasure has a remarkable voice it seems a pity to have reduce him a dance-track-ish "Too Darn Hot." Perhaps the single greatest disappointment in the collection is Debbie Harry, who one would expect to work wonders with a classic Porter tune... but who finds herself paired with Iggy Pop in a throw-away version of "Well, Did You Evah," which can only be described as a humiliating miscalculation and a true waste of talent.

Still, in spite of a host of misfires and just flat out bad ideas, when it's good RED HOT + BLUE is exceptionally good--and enough so to make up for the duds and bring the whole thing in at a solid four stars. Just bear in mind that you'll probably want to make your own edits!

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Frankly, I don't understand how a music lover could NOT like this album! This is the 4th time I've had to buy it because I either wear the CD's or tapes out or lend it out & never got it back. I love the classic Cole Porter renditions - that's what I was familiar with. As soon as I heard this album, though, I fell in love! I love playing Dinah Washington's version of "I've got you under my skin" and then playing Nenah Cherry's rendition. O.K., Dinah win's out for me on that one, but I still like to hear what Miss Cherry does to the song. The same goes for Betty Carter's "Every time we say goodbye". Personally, I ADORE what Annie Lennox brings to that piece. I makes me cry too! Give this one a chance and keep your mind open!!

Wonderful, unsusal and surprising new arrangements of Cole Porter standards. A few - Neneh Cherry's I've Got You Under My Skin, eg - are so personal as to elimininate the melody, which after all is half of what one loves about Cole Porter (I'm not giving up my Sinatra), but most - like David Byrne's Don't Fence Me In - are as good as the classic recordings of these songs.

Doing an entire album of covers of a classic and well respected musician such as Cole Porter, even if in the name of AIDS research, is somewhat a dangerous venture. Musical purists will probably hate these renditions. However, when this compilation came out in 1990, the organizers were able to capitalize on some big names and a high time in great music. What is captured on Red, Hot and Blue is an amazing collection of classics executed very well. Even if not every song is to your taste, with 20 songs, you're sure to find several to your liking. Contained within are old classics waiting to be redefined and new classics waiting to be discovered.

The album starts off with Neneh Cherry who, at the time, was the hot female rap ticket. Her rendition of "I've Got U Under My Skin" is beat ridden and somewhat sultry. Released as a single, this song had a modicum of success. Next are the Neville Brothers with their version of "In the Still of the Night." I can't say I care for this version, however I never really have liked Aaron Neville's vocal stylings. Sinead O'Connor (who was very hot at the time) enters her sultry and shakily pensive version of "You Do Something to Me." Done in classic style, I can see her singing this a seedy bar somewhere. I don't know who Salif Keita is, but his shaky and incomprehensible lyrics disturb me, however the orchestrations are classic and well done. Another "where are they now" artist, Fine Young Cannibals executed "Love for Sale" brilliantly acoustically, though again we have to suffer through unclear and warbled lyrics. Finally getting some rock and attitude, Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop deliver a great (tho sometimes off key) duet with "Well, Did You Evah?" (and yes it is "swelligant"!). Another good pairing, "Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things" is classically executed through the Pogues' orchestrations and vocals (on the second half) and Kirsty MacColl's deep vocals. Having left 10,000 Maniacs, David Byrne provides his solo version of "Don't Fence Me In" that is a perfect match between the lyrics and David's vocal style. Tom Waits might be considered a genius my many, but this version of "It's Alright With Me" grates on my nerves with both the orchestrations AND the vocals (then you think it's over and it's not... argh!). Fortunately, we now hit an excellent patch of songs. Next we have the incomparable Annie Lennox who beautifully and emotionally delivers "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye." With only piano, some accordion in the bridge, and Annie's voice, this song will pierce your very soul with its power and depth. Released as a single, U2's rendition of "Night and Day" is beautifully orchestrated and sung with such passion and angst one almost sheds a tear. "I Love Paris" by Les Negresses Vertes is a campy, folksy, fun tune that's great to sing along to with a snobby French accent. Then we arrive at my very purpose for listening to this release - k.d. Lang's heart-wrenching version of "So in Love." Sung with such depth and beauty, I'm almost bawling as I finish singing along with this masterpiece. The Thompson Twins bring a smile back as they execute "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" with such attitude and an almost industrial dance tone that it makes you dance about with a playful scowl on your face (it's screaming for a remix). Erasure's "Too Darn Hot" is slow and sultry and executed in classic Erasure style. Set in classic early 90s House style, The Jungle Brothers provide a rap-hip-hop tip to "I Get a Kick." Lisa Stansfield's sultry vocal stylings are showcased on a classic big band rendition of "Down in the Depths." In his standard falsetto and a disco beat, Jimmy Sommerville provides "From This Moment On" with elements to bring it up to speed for the 90s club scene. Back to classic big band and vocal stylings, Jody Watley croons her way into your heart with "After You, Who?" This 20 song collection finally comes to a close with the underappreciated Aztec Camera and their beautifully classic yet synthesized rendition of "Do I Love You."

For me, this release gets a strong 4 star rating. When it first came out, I wanted to get it because of its cause as well as the interesting mix of artists performing these classics. While some songs I can't stand, there are others like "So in Love" and "What Wants to be a Millionaire" that I will never get enough of. It is a single release that captures such a wide variety of styles and generates so many moods; an eclectic collection for an eclectic person, I suppose. :)

Who should buy this? Well, if you're a Cole Porter fan, you might want to stay away. However, if you see an artist you simply love, chances are you'll love their version of that song. Get it for that, and then be pleasantly surprised by the other gems you find. Started as a fund raising effort for AIDS research, this is the best "Red Hot and..." compilation that I've experienced. Recommended to fans of the bands featured, fans of 90s pop and rock, and for those that like an eclectic mixture of remade classics. Red, Hot and Blue lives up to its name - a mixture of styles and emotions that emote the American experience.

I am going to load this CD on my computer so that I can delete half of the tracks. Whoever had the bright idea of having someone rap out Cole Porter songs must've been on drugs. Cole Porter songs are known for their polished lyrics. Having hip-hop artists add what they think of as poetry is a travesty.

Some of the cuts are excellent. Sinead O'Connor needs to do more standards. Annie Lennox can sing anything and I'll love it. Tom Waits, on the other hand, sounds best singing his own music. Song samples listed on the Amazon web page give the best segments of the songs, not a representative sample. So, if you enjoy experimenting, or can afford to buy a whole CD for a few good tracks, get this CD. If you want an album of Porter's standards this is not for you.

This is one of my favorites! It is an awesome collection that shows how Cole Porter's wonderful songs translate to different times and genres. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy!

Every time I play this CD I marvel at the uniqueness all over again. Anyone that comes over and hears it wants it. Awesome, just listen and you'll be a fan.

this is the red hot that started the whole affair. this collection of cole porter covers was recorded as a way to let the world know that the music industry cared about aids awareness and raising money to bring about a cure.

the representation of artists is a cross section of who was hot in 1990 with few exceptions (prince, janet jackson, madonna and cyndi lauper immediately comes to mind--madonna would pay her dues soon though). some of them are gloriously up to doing the cole porter songs justice.

for example, lisa stansfield's 'down in the depths' is elegantly jazzy and a perfect showcase for her sweet honeyed mezzo. and, kd lang can do wrong working her way through 'so in love'. it's brilliant. as is annie lennox's 'ev'ry time we say goodbye'.

others bring their stamp to the songs and make it happen for the pop market. u2's 'night and day' is a great success, david byrne takes 'don't fence me in' on a great romp and fine young cannibals take 'love for sale', which has an unshakeable identity with women from billie holiday to aretha franklin, and makes it a randy boy-toy cruise that porter would have loved!

now, while sinead o'connor and iggy pop made be the last two singers one would expect to take on cole porter, o'connor's whispery boop-a-doop approach to 'you do something to me' is a definite change of pace and pop just says 'so what!?' he and debbie harry give 'well, did you evah?' the punked out once over that again would have tickled porter to no end.

now, if he wouldn't lose his sense of humor on some of the rest, as a listener i do. jody watley has one of the toughest tunes to do in 'after you--who?'. and a sense of humor or a little help from elton john might have saved her. as is her apporach is too studied and careful. and i don't get salif keita's 'begin the beguine'. this is one of the songs that needed to be sung because of its lusicious melody. and i like rap as much as the next person but i have to concede the point that porter's lyrics don't need reconception as raps.